Potsdam, NY – Junior Jason Phelps hit a 3-pointer from the right wing in the final minute to lift the Clarkson University Men's Basketball team to a 69-66 victory over Union College on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights ended a four-game losing streak with the win, improving to 5-17 overall and 4-11 in conference while Union dropped to 9-13 and 5-11. Clarkson closes out the schedule this week with three games on the road, facing RIT on Tuesday and then facing Skidmore and Rensselaer next weekend.

The Knights held a six point lead with less than three minutes to go, only to see Union score a pair of 3-pointers to tie the game. With Union trying to take the lead, the Dutchmen turned the ball over, allowing Clarkson to score in transition, with Barryn Shark finding Reese Swedberg just outside the lane and Swedberg kicking the ball back out to an open Phelps on the perimeter.
Clarkson opened the game by making six of its first nine 3-point attempts to race out to a 20-11 lead in the first nine minutes. Union took little time to get back into the game, going on a 10-0 run to pull within one on a layup and free throw from Brian Noone. Clarkson pushed its advantage back to five (30-25), but the Dutchmen again went on a 10-0 run thanks to two 3-pointers from Mike Concannon. The lead expanded to seven thanks to two more 3-pointers from Kevin Jefferson, but a last second 3-pointer from Phelps put the gap at four at the break.

Union led by five in the early going of the second half, only to see Roburt Welch hit a 3-pointer at 11:46 to tie the game at 48-48. Union scored the next five, but the Knights responded with a 14-0 run. Clarkson tied the game at 53-53 on a 3-pointer from Keenan Gayle, and a Joe Lucas 3-pointer from the corner gave the Knights the lead. Phelps converted in the lane at 5:41 to put Clarkson up 62-53, and it appeared as if all the momentum was on the side of the Knights.

Union would not go away, pecking away at the lead and tying the game late thanks to 3-pointers from both Kevin McNoble and Brian Noone. Clarkson's chance to take the lead was denied when Brendan Laing blocked a shot inside and the ball eventually skipped out of bounds for Union. At the other end, Union got a 3-pointer off, but missed, and the Dutchmen did get the offensive rebound, but it was an unstable board and the ball was tossed out to Higgins, who started the fast break that ended in the 3-pointer from Phelps.

Union put all of its shooters on the court for the final possession, but an off-balance 3-point try from the corner missed the mark and was corralled by Keenan Gayle to end the contest.

Junior Barryn Shark put together a solid all-around effort with 15 points, 7 rebounds (including four offensive) and 6 assists while sophomore Jason Phelps added 10 points and six rebounds. Matt Higgins was held in check on offense with just seven points, but he contributed eight rebounds and four steals. Eight different players hit a 3-pointer for the Knights, which hit 12 3-point field goals in the contest.

For Union, Concannon came off the bench to score 13 points, though he did finish playing 30 minutes. McNoble produced a double-double, notching 11 points and 13 rebounds.